The High Court has found Mozambican national Carlos Nhabombe guilty of 15 counts of rape against women and young girls in Mbabane.
Nhabombe, 39 years old at the time of his arrest in 2013, was acquitted on three of the original 18 charges and convicted on the remaining 15 counts.
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Judge Mbutfo Mamba delivered the verdict, offering a measure of justice to survivors whose ordeals spanned from 2008 to 2013.
Court Proceedings and Modus Operandi
The court heard that Nhabombe operated a consistent scheme, targeting vulnerable women at the Mbabane taxi rank.
According to the Crown, Nhabombe would pose as a person in need of help at Mbabane Clinic, often claiming that a relative required assistance. He lured women with small payments (between E20 and E30) under the promise of work. Once isolated, typically via forest footpaths, he would violently assault them.
A significant aggravating factor highlighted by the Crown, represented by Lomvula Hlophe, was the youth of the survivors, with some victims as young as 11 years old.
Specific instances included:
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A 17-year-old girl was approached, offered E30, and led into a forest where Nhabombe threatened her with hidden accomplices if she resisted.
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In another instance, an 11-year-old girl was approached under the pretense of helping a nurse with luggage. She was offered E20, given E10 upfront, and then led away and assaulted.
Court Findings and Next Steps
Throughout the trial, Nhabombe pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations during cross-examination. The court, however, found the evidence compelling and convincing.
The case has now moved to the sentencing phase, where the court will consider aggravating circumstances for each guilty count, including:
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Minor ages of the survivors
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Use of violence, including strangulation
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Threats with a knife
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Risk posed by not using a condom
Judge Mamba stated that for any count where aggravating circumstances were proven, the sentence would be no less than nine years imprisonment per offence.
The case was adjourned for further arguments on aggravating circumstances. The judge also urged the media to protect survivors’ identities and report ethically to avoid causing further trauma.
During the proceedings, Nhabombe requested leniency, but was informed that the mitigation stage had not yet begun.
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